Jetpack: Publicize: Add custom templates

[kraftbj]

We could add an additional option under Settings > Sharing, allowing you to customize all Publicize excerpts at once, with the use of template tags, like we do today for custom services in Sharedaddy.
Here are a few examples:
Custom Text, like "New Post:" before the post title
Tags added as hashtags for Twitter and Facebook
We could do this with an interface similar to the old YOURLS plugin:

http://i.wpne.ws/LFEe/content

Suggested by users in:
https://twitter.com/walkenfan/status/291950686277627904
http://wordpress.org/support/topic/featured-image-of-post-not-showing-up-when-publicized-to-facebook?replies=23#post-3467643
http://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-custom-post-text?replies=3#post-3556200
http://wordpress.org/support/topic/feature-request-33?replies=1
http://wordpress.org/support/topic/any-way-to-use-tags-when-posting-an-entry-to-facebook-twitter-etc?replies=1
http://wordpress.org/support/topic/share-on-twitter-feature-request?replies=2
http://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-add-automatic-title-hashtag-for-twitter?replies=3#post-4494444
http://wordpress.org/support/topic/jetpack-publicize?replies=1
http://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-setting-text-auto?replies=1

Ported from https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/1785

[vrocks]

Having this would be amazing!

Perhaps a "main" setting with 2 check boxes:

Would you like publicize to add these to your Twitter posts?
☐ Categories
☒ Tags

Then the same for Tumblr and Facebook as well.

[talgalili]

I would LOVE to be able to add automatic hashtags for my publicized posts (for example, always have my posts include #something). Any chance of getting this to happen in the near future?

Thanks!

[paulsto]

In sharing settings, you should be able to put a collection of words in the twitter section that it should pattern match against in the title of the article and simply add a hash to the beginning of the word if it finds it in the title. Generally people are writing in common themes, this would go some way to automating the action of pushing a post out.

The other option you've mentioned above would also be great.

[JuliusDoom]

Here is a temporary solution for this issue, i hope that Automattic guys add this functionality to the plugin, but meanwhile we are working on a better solution. http://outbc.co/1oSyIdu

[kraftbj]

@JuliusDoom The solution on that post is changing core WordPress files, something outside of our scope and not recommended.

[JuliusDoom]

@kraftbj As i said, this is temporary solution, but some guys really need this functionallity.

[paulsto]

I already fudged something like this, but the scope is very limited in terms of how you can post.

I’ve ended up buying a subscription for dlvr.it for the time being. That is definitely the gold standard for how to “publicize” content… It turns any tags it finds (up to a configurable maximum) and post categories, into hashtags.

[blobaugh]

Adding link to VIP article http://vip.wordpress.com/documentation/customizing-publicize-sharing-behavior/

[kraftbj]

Note that not all on that VIP link applies to Jetpack per Partnerships.

[jeherve]

Here is a working example:
http://wordpress.org/support/topic/jetpack-publicize?replies=18#post-4836869

[jeherve]

Here is another working example, for tags this time:
http://jeremy.hu/jetpack-hashtags-tweets-publicize/

[jkudish]

We're reworking how a lot of Publicize works at the moment. We'll add more customization features but I am not sure yet what it'll look like exactly.

[jeherve]

Another related request here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wrong-short-url-1?replies=9&view=all

In this case, the users would like to be able to choose what URL (full permalink or shortlink) to send in the Publicize message.

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/jetpack-posts-full-text-on-facebook?replies=27&view=all#post-7004438

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://twitter.com/shaunduke/status/607757756217491457

[jenhooks]

Requested here: 2228273-t

[richardmtl]

requested ability to modify Publicize content sent to twitter in 2228116-t

[jackiejade]

Had two more requests for the ability to use shortlinks in chat: 174305-chat and 177170-chat

[kraftbj]

@Jstachurski re shortlinks: 429-gh-io

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-by-jetpack-doesnt-use-its-own-wpme-short-urls

[jeherve]

Also suggested in #2391: custom templates would allow site owners to use custom shortlinks in Publicize messages again, thus allowing them to use custom URL parameters if needed.

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-is-posting-both-bitly-regular-urls?replies=6&view=all#post-7220355

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/shortlink-in-auto-post-message?replies=1&view=all

[Darkseal]

I recently wrote a Wordpress Plugin to automatically generate hashtags using the post tags, the process using the post tags, so you won't have to manually do that each time. The results are very similar to what @vrocks, @talgalili and @paulsto asked for, without having to change WP source code as @JuliusDoom 's temp fix.

The Plugin is released under GPLv2 and is available here:
https://wordpress.org/plugins/publicize-with-hashtags/

This is a brief installation & usage guide:
http://www.ryadel.com/en/add-hashtags-to-jetpack-publicize-shared-posts/

And here's the GitHub repo with the full Source Code:
https://github.com/Darkseal/publicize-with-hashtags

At the time being, all the plugin options (max char length check, space trimming etc.) can only be changed by editing the PHP file: I'll add a dedicated options screen if the plugin gets some downloads.

[jeherve]

@Darkseal Looks like a similar approach to the tutorial I posted earlier:

Here is another working example, for tags this time:
http://jeremy.hu/jetpack-hashtags-tweets-publicize/

Well done!

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-post-to-twitter-does-not-include-short-url?replies=1&view=all

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-and-wp-bitly?replies=2&view=all

[nohl]

@jeherve I am so impressed with your diligence on this issue. Thank you for being our champion on this headache.

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/too-much-information-2?replies=1&view=all

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-short-links-with-publicize?replies=1&view=all

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/word-count-on-facebook-post?replies=2&view=all

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-title-description-post?replies=1&view=all

[jeherve]

Also suggested in 2417761-t

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/facebook-ignores-custom-publicize-message-if-not-sent-from-desktop?replies=3&view=all#post-7668144

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-on-facebook?replies=3&view=all#post-7673956

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-add-url-variables?replies=1&view=all

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-creating-utm-tracking-links-specific-to-diferent-social-media?replies=1&view=all

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/how-publicize-publish-my-posts-with-short-url?replies=1&view=all

[jenhooks]

Suggested here 2484957-t

[v18]

Asked in 2503594-t

[jeherve]

Related request here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/why-is-jetpack-publicize-adding-an-extra-link-to-the-text-of-posts-on-fb-or-g?replies=1&view=all

[jeherve]

Related:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/i-want-to-limit-the-length-of-the-post-to-first-para-in-fb-share?replies=4&view=all#post-8004306

[swedroid]

Option to only publish post URL? Most sites supply metadata for FB (and if not, it usually finds it anyways), so URL would suffice in order to display post title+description.

[memmeh]

Please get this sorted out. I really need to use Facebook publishing but I can't use it as long as the app posts the entire content into Facebook.

[jeherve]

@memmeh Publicize doesn't post the entire content to Facebook right, only the first 60 words are pulled.

If you'd like, you can use the Publicize Details box appearing right above the Publish button to set a custom message before to publish your post. That custom message will then be used instead of the first 60 words of your post.

[jeherve]

Related request here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/fb-via-publicizing-link-in-post-description?replies=1&view=all

[jeherve]

Also requested in 2595049-t

[jeherve]

Also requested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-remove-facebook-text?replies=3&view=all#post-8274111

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-how-can-i-set-up-several-messages?replies=1&view=all

[davidsword]

been hoping for this functionality for years. I only need to send a domain maped URL to Facebook, the og meta tags take care of the title and content, etc.

[jeherve]

I only need to send a domain maped URL to Facebook

I'm not sure I understand. Could you give us more details about what you'd like to achieve?

[davidsword]

example.com wp network has a /SiteA/ site which is domain mapped SiteA.com

When SiteA.com submits a post, ideally the editing template would remove all text and allow just sending the %U (whatever the tag for url is). Ideally template would be editable to send only pretty url SiteA.com/blog/new-post/ which'd suffice (as the meta tags would take care of the title and description).

I used snippet for "add tag" post_meta alteration from your blog I think _(thank you for that btw)_ , to blank everything out, and just send the default url: example.com/SiteA/?p=123 - but it's very far from SiteA.com/blog/new-post/ that'd ideally be the only thing that sends.

This post kinda touches on two issues: editable template so can send only URL, and domain maps URLs being sent. sorry to hijack.

[jeherve]

just send the default url: example.com/SiteA/?p=123 - but it's very far from SiteA.com/blog/new-post/ that'd ideally be the only thing that sends.

That's actually a known Jetpack issue; Publicize should indeed send pretty URLs by default. That's something we're working on fixing. Until then, there is a work-around:
Could you go to Jetpack > Settings in your dashboard, and enable the WP.me Shortlinks module? That will force Publicize to use pretty URLs (not default shortlinks, nor WP-me shortlinks).

[jeherve]

Also reported here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-point-to-custom-url?replies=3&view=all#post-8347998

[ChrissiePollock]

Publicize customization requested in 2680038-t

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/how-to-show-only-post-title-and-link-in-facebook-with-publicize?replies=1&view=all

[rachelsquirrel]

Another request #2689801-t

[chaneswin]

Is it possible to add different GA utm parameters in URLs when publicizing to different social media?

[lamdayap]

Requested here #2741723-t

[ntpixels]

requested in #2744758-t

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-is-adding-about-50-words-on-top-of-post?replies=2

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/how-to-limit-the-words-or-characters-displaying-as-descrtiption-into-fb-post?replies=1

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicize-remove-description-from-fb-and-g-by-editing-the-template?replies=1

[csonnek]

Requested in 2780703-t

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/jetpack-posting-to-facebook-with-xx-more-words/#post-8179626

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/publicized-post-on-facebook/

[davoraltman]

Also suggested in 2948339-t

[RCowles]

Requested in 2969185-t

[RCowles]

Requested in 2980966-t

[jenhooks]

2988996-t would like to edit [...more words]

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-understanding-the-customizing-publicize-message/

[mattewre]

I would like to have customization too.

[jeherve]

Also reported here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/post-content-11/

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-publicize-by-platform/

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/want-to-stop-sharing-full-content-on-facebook

[jrmain]

Should we be worried that some (or all) of the features people have been asking for in this thread are going to be in the Pro/Premium versions only? See https://jetpack.com/2017/02/22/share-it-again-new-social-media-features-for-premium-and-professional-customers/

[jeherve]

@jrmain While Premium and Professional Jetpack users can now use Publicize as many times as they'd like thanks to the new options available on WordPress.com, we haven't worked on the main feature discussed in this issue: the ability to customize the default Publicize message used for all your future Publicize posts thanks to a templating system. The Custom sharing button option is a good example of such a templating system.

This templating system allows you to build a link based on predefined placeholders. Ideally, we would build a similat system allowing you to build a default Publicize message based on predefined placeholders.

I hope this clarifies things a bit!

[jrmain]

It does, thanks.

[lnwills]

A work around for the time being is creating an applet on ifttt.com, which is free to use.

[jrmain]

With recent changes to Publicize, the problem has worsened for me. Now Publicize insists on posting an image that I don't want it to use, and the only way to get rid of it is to delete the post completely. So I'm now looking at alternatives, such as the IFTTT method outlined above. Thanks for that, Inwills!

[lnwills]

No problem jrmain. Also, you may want to look into installing Yoast SEO if images you don't want to use are populating for your post. I had the same issue and for anything I was trying to post my sidebar images were being used. Apparently, the og:image tag that FB uses for capturing images for post tends to get messed up somehow.

[jeherve]

Also suggested here:
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/how-to-remove-excerpt-and-link-when-article-published-on-facebook/

[jeherve]

Now Publicize insists on posting an image that I don't want it to use

@jrmain As @lnwills explained, when you share a post on Facebook or when Jetpack Publicize publishes a post to your Facebook page, Facebook crawls the page and looks for Open Graph meta tags in the head to build a complete post preview (with an image, title, description, ...).

Jetpack automatically creates these Open Graph Meta tags for you unless you already use another Open Graph plugin, in which case we let the other plugin handle things.
You can see what Facebook sees by entering one of your posts' URLs in Facebook Debugger:
https://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug

If you use Jetpack to generate those Open Graph Meta tags and experience issues with the images picked in your post previews, could you contact us and give us a few examples so we can take a look?

[jrmain]

@jeherve Understood. I'm using another plugin to set up the Open Graph meta tags, because I wanted to have some control over them, which Publicize currently doesn't provide.

When I let Publicize post an article from my Wordpress site to Facebook, I get the issue that originally led me to this thread, which is that the article content appears twice (also happens on Google+). I was able to fix that by editing the post on Facebook (and Google+) and removing the duplicate content, but it made me wonder why I was using Publicize at all.

When I post a link to an article manually on Facebook, the result is fine. No extra content, and no spurious images. And it also looks fine in the Facebook Object Debugger.

Since the recent Publicize updates, I now also get an unrelated image from the site's sidebar in every post. The only way to fix that is to delete the post, so again, I'm wondering whether Publicize is really saving me any time.

I've been holding out hope that you'll add functionality to Publicize that allows me to customize what it spews at Facebook and Google+.

[jeherve]

the article content appears twice (also happens on Google+).

We're aware of that bug with Google+, but I can't seem to reproduce on Facebook. Could you contact us via this contact form and give us some examples, so we can take a closer look?

I now also get an unrelated image from the site's sidebar in every post.

I'd recommend checking your site's Open Graph Image Meta Tags; they're the only thing that controls the look of your post previews on Facebook. If the og:image tag is properly set and Facebook ignores it, it's most likely because the image isn't available when Facebook crawls your site after the post was published and looks for that image. You can confirm this by looking at your site's raw access logs around the time when the post is published. You'll see Facebook's bot accessing your site in the first few seconds after the post was published, and you'll be able to see if it gets any errors when trying to access the image provided as og:image.

I've been holding out hope that you'll add functionality to Publicize that allows me to customize what it spews at Facebook and Google+.

Yes, that's what this issue is about. We'll update it as soon as we get to it!

[jrmain]

I'd recommend checking your site's Open Graph Image Meta Tags; they're the only thing that controls the look of your post previews on Facebook.

The Open Graph image tags (e.g. og:image) are not set; there's no relevant image. Facebook complains about that, and yet when I manually post a link to the same article on Facebook, there's no image, which is what I want, and what makes the most sense, at least to me.

You'll see Facebook's bot accessing your site in the first few seconds after the post was published

I understand that Facebook ingests the source page when a link is posted to Facebook, regardless of the mechanism used. When Publicize does it, I get a spurious image; when I post directly on Facebook, I don't get an image, which is what I want, and that's also what I see on Facebook's Object Debugger.

[jrmain]

Could you contact us via this contact form and give us some examples, so we can take a closer look?

Done.

[grappler]

This would be useful for WordCamps too so that they include their event hashtag in the tweet instead of having to change it manually for each post.

[seejacobscott]

Request for ability to edit the URL to use custom taxonomy when publicized: 3232999-t

[lamdayap]

request to remove URL's completely: 3240351-t

[jeherve]

request to remove URL's completely: 3240351-t

This is tracked in #5384

[lschuyler]

Requested in 3262683-t

[snowmads]

Requested in 3311763-t

[lschuyler]

Requested in 3321535-t

[xavivars]

On one side, it's amazing how you guys keep track of every single request about this issue (and it has more than 90 comments!!!).

But it's also incredible to see how, after three years and so many requests, something that can be easily done with IFTTT or other plugins (heard about Nelio Content?) is impossible with Jetpack.

😥

[mzakariya]

636401-zen

• User requesting to disable xxx more words
• Suggested they ensure to use excerpts in WordPress when crafting a post

[lamdayap]

659356-zen requested for an option to remove the excerpt altogether and just show the image.

[lamdayap]

Another request to remove the URL when Publicized: https://wordpress.org/support/topic/is-possibible-hide-post-url-in-publicize/

[lamdayap]

684278-zen (request to take out thte xx more words

[StefMattana]

Another request here: 714493-zen

[StefMattana]

Requested in 736426-zen

[jeherve]

Also in 775410-zen

[annezazu]

Requested in 786845-zen

[richardmtl]

Requested here: https://wordpress.org/support/topic/add-utm-parameters-when-publishing/

[richardmtl]

925824-zen

[richardmtl]

926876-zen

[jeherve]

Also in 956516-zen

[munirkamal]

Any ETA for this to get implemented?

[jeherve]

Also in 1085969-zen

[coder-karen]

Requested in 1330923-zen

[richardmtl]

1483282-zen

[htdat]

7013037-hc

[htdat]

1671558-zen
Remove post links in Facebook posts by Publicize.

[htdat]

1726332-zen
Automatically use the post title + link only when publicizing posts

[tmmbecker]

2422784-zen
less text or only the title and link

[jeherve]

2483059-zen
Shortlinks instead of full permalinks

[tmmbecker]

2793791-zen

[htdat]

2847314-zen

[ccwalburn]

Request to stop limiting the publicize description to Twitter's character limit so that you can enter more characters for Facebook.
3086725-zen

[jenhooks]

3110042-zen

[leonardop21]

The jetpack was publishing the full text on Facebook, so I found a code this forum even though it partially solved the problem, now the title is shared on Facebook instead of the description!

The problem occurs in some articles, that he does not pull the title and ends up inserting “automatic draft” in the publication.

Has anyone ever experienced this?

Topic that helped me: https://wordpress.org/support/topic/jetpack-posts-full-text-on-facebook/#post-6158911

Print Admin: https://prnt.sc/vz2cc2

Print Face: https://prnt.sc/vz2dw6

In the admin, it always says “Automatic draft”, in 98% of the stories it pulls the correct title, but in some it goes like automatic draft

`function set_title_publicize () {
global $post;
$title = get_the_title( $post->ID );
update_post_meta( $post->ID, '_wpas_mess', $title);
}

add_action('the_post', 'set_title_publicize');
add_action('save_post', 'set_title_publicize');
add_action('draft_to_publish', 'set_title_publicize');
add_action('new_to_publish', 'set_title_publicize');
add_action('pending_to_publish', 'set_title_publicize');
add_action('future_to_publish', 'set_title_publicize');`

[lakellie]

Request to add URL parameters in 3907349-zen